NativeAppContainerForCs.App

NativeAppContainerForCs.App

A hybrid sample where a managed WinUI 3 entry point hands off to native C++/WinRT code that owns the app container and window creation. It demonstrates a layered hosting model for combining .NET-based app startup with native Windows App SDK infrastructure.

Solution Structure

NativeAppContainerForCs.App.sln
├── Apps
│   ├── ContainerForCs.App
│   └── ContainerForCs.AppCs
└── Libs
    ├── ContainerForCs.AppLib
    ├── ContainerForCs.AppLib.CsWinRT
    └── ContainerForCs.CsWinRtComponent

ContainerForCs.AppCs provides the C# entry point (Program.cs) and initializes the COM wrapper support needed for managed/native interop. ContainerForCs.AppLib is the native C++/WinRT app library that creates the XAML window, while ContainerForCs.AppLib.CsWinRT and ContainerForCs.CsWinRtComponent bridge projected WinRT APIs between the managed and native layers. ContainerForCs.App gives the solution a native host project alongside the managed one.

The sample is especially useful for understanding WinRT.Host-based activation, CsWinRT-assisted interop, and app startup patterns where the UI shell is native but orchestration begins in managed code.

Building

1. Open NativeAppContainerForCs.App.sln in Visual Studio 2022.
2. Restore NuGet packages.
3. Set ContainerForCs.AppCs as the startup project for the managed-to-native handoff scenario.
4. Choose Debug or Release and x64 or ARM64.
5. Build and run with F5.

Key Technologies

• WinUI 3 hybrid hosting
• C# and C++/WinRT interop
• CsWinRT projections
• WinRT.Host.dll
• Native app container patterns
• Managed-to-native startup delegation